Prio Wealth Limited Partnership Cuts Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Prio Wealth Limited Partnership decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,097 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 35 shares during the quarter. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,523,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 275.0% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,040.46 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $981.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $958.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.30. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $674.41 and a one year high of $1,049.02. The firm has a market cap of $51.05 billion, a PE ratio of 28.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.64%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price on the stock. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,014.11.

W.W. Grainger Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.